Giuseppe Capogrossi biography

Giuseppe Capogrossi, born in Rome on March 7, 1900, is a prominent Italian painter, a leading figure in the Roman School and the informal art movement in Italy. Belonging to a noble family, he graduated in Law from Sapienza University of Rome. His passion for painting led him to study with Felice Carena and Giambattista Conti, an expert in frescoes.
From 1923 to 1924, Giuseppe Capogrossi attended the Libera Scuola di Nudo of Felice Carena, one of the most prestigious schools in Rome. His first exhibition took place in 1927 at the Pensione Dinesen in Rome. During these years, he made numerous trips to Paris, the cultural center of the time, where he was influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. His early works reflect this Parisian influence, showing a figurative and tonal painting that connects to classical Italian sources. In 1930, he participated in the XXVII Venice Biennale, marking the beginning of a constant presence in important art exhibitions. In 1932, together with Corrado Cagli, Emanuele Cavalli, and Eloisa Michelucci, he exhibited at the Galleria Roma and later in Milan and Paris. These exhibitions consolidated his role in the Scuola Romana. In 1933, Capogrossi signed the "Manifesto of Plastic Primordialism" and in 1935 he participated in San Francisco in the "Exhibition of Contemporary Italian Painting".
During the Second World War, Giuseppe Capogrossi began a transformation in his artistic exploration, gradually moving towards abstractionism. This evolution is manifested in works with vibrant colors and animated brushstrokes. His first abstraction dates back to the post-war period, expressing a sign language of post-cubist origin. By 1949, his works already displayed a well-articulated personal vocabulary. This language develops into a unique form-sign, which, through infinite variations, constructs the space of the painting, symbolically representing an inner spatial organization.
In 1950, Giuseppe Capogrossi participated in the founding of the Gruppo Origine, together with Mario Ballocco, Alberto Burri, and Ettore Colla, promoting the ideals of abstraction. During this period, he established an important relationship with Carlo Cardazzo, owner of the Il Cavallino gallery in Venice and Il Naviglio in Milan, signing an exclusive contract that promoted his art abroad as well.
Giuseppe Capogrossi receives international recognition, such as the painting award at the XXXI Venice Biennale in 1962 and the "Twenty Years of Biennale" award at the São Paulo Biennale in Brazil in 1971. He teaches "Drawn Figure" at the Artistic High School of Rome from 1940 to 1966 and "Decoration" at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples from 1966 to 1970.
His works are exhibited in major galleries and museums, such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. The National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome dedicated a room to him in 1968 and a retrospective in 1974.
After his death on October 9, 1972, the Fondazione Archivio Capogrossi was established to enhance and protect his artwork. This foundation collects a vast amount of documentary and library material, making it available to scholars and researchers. Another important documentary collection is preserved at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome.
Giuseppe Capogrossi is an artist who has profoundly marked the Italian and international art scene, with a journey that spans from classical figuration to abstractionism, influencing generations of artists and leaving a cultural legacy of great value.